


Easier (Under Water)

by bvngeegvm



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Breaking Up & Making Up, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Fluff, Graduation, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:02:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23897947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bvngeegvm/pseuds/bvngeegvm
Summary: Mark has always been easy.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Park Jisung (NCT)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 79
Collections: nct one shots under 10000





	Easier (Under Water)

Mark has always been easy. 

There’s never been any confusion, even when they weren’t together and Jisung felt like a dumb kid with a crush, Mark was so easy. He didn’t panic when Mark asked him out. It was a breath of relief, it was the words finally ghosting over his skin. 

He wasn’t nervous on their first date because he knew no matter what they did, it would still be ridiculously awkward because they were just that. And when Mark kissed him for the first time, that was awkward too because Jisung had no experience and Mark had too much and their press of mouths was clumsy but it was perfect. 

He told Jisung he loved him by accident when Jisung was helping him pack, sitting in a pile of mix matched socks, searching for the pairs and throwing them at Mark once they were rolled together. He had looked over at Jisung, taken in his skin covered by random socks, his black hair sticking to his forehead, curling at the ends and murmured, “God, I love you.”

Jisung had looked up slowly, a single sock still curled in his fist before his lips curled into a smile. His eyes were sad, though and Mark began to back track. “I mean— I shouldn’t have said that— I have horrible timing—“

“No,” Jisung interrupted. “I’m just gonna miss you is all.”

Mark had crossed the room, curled his hand at the nap of Jisung's neck and kissed him slow and deep. 

He wasn’t scared when Mark fucked him for the first time, on his childhood bedroom floor, surrounded by boxes and socks because Mark was always so easy to be around and even scary things like losing his virginity didn’t matter because he was safe in his arms. 

+++

Mark may be easy but Jisung is decidedly, not. 

They break up once. 

It’s right after prom and it’s so stupid. Jisung had convinced himself that Mark was going to leave him the second graduation was over. 

All he needed was one little fight to muster up the courage to say the words. “Then I guess there’s no reason for us to be together anymore!”

He doesn’t even remember what the fight was about now. All he remembers is how much he regretted the fact that he said it in the school halls, letting all of Mark’s potential suitors know he was free to have and how utterly miserable he was without him. 

_The heat is stifling despite it being the middle of May and he wants to rid himself of this suit more than ever, bumping into bustling bodies of crying parents and relieved freshly graduated kids._

_“This is so stupid,” he mutters to himself, curling his hands tighter around the box in his hand when it feels like all his sweat will make it slip free. His eyes scan the crowd for a familiar head of black hair, which honestly doesn’t help him much at all with everyone still wearing their caps and gowns, taking pictures._

_He bats another balloon out of his way, stopping in an area where the crowd moves and shifts briefly giving him the chance to look around and actually see faces. He spots Renjun first, looking small holding a giant bouquet of flowers._

_And then he sees him. Smiling wide, his cap no longer on his head but resting on his mother’s. The air shudders out of him at once, chest constricting. He almost turns around, runs away back to the orchestra room, packs up his violin and leaves but a body slams into his back and the box nearly slides out of his clammy palms and he’s brought back to reality._

_The crowd has filled the brief empty space but he pushes through, until he’s a few steps away. Mark pulls his mother close, enveloping her in a tight hug that Jisung can almost feel. He averts his eyes, waiting for the right moment to present itself._

_If there was a right moment. He had no right to ruin this day for Mark, he shouldn’t even be here, intruding on a private moment with people Mark actually cares about, people that didn’t break up with him in the heat of the moment, in a bought of confusion._

_A manicured hand digs into his arm wrenching him away. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Donghyuck snarls, brows pinched and utterly pissed off._

_He smacks her hand away. “Mind your business.”_

_“No. That’s my brother and you are nothing to him now. So you mind your business. You don’t get to ruin this for him too.”_

_Jisung flinches, eyes welling up with tears. “I know that. I know, okay? I was gonna leave—“_

_“Good. Because I’m not gonna let you hurt him anymore.”_

_Jisung swallows and he wants so badly to argue with her, to blame it on Mark, and say the only person who’s been hurt is himself but he’s not so sure what to believe anymore. “I’m sorry…I—“ he turns to leave but a shout of his name stops him._

_“Jisung!”_

_He bites his lip, turning towards Mark warily. “I was just leaving.”_

_“Hey, no.” He looks down at the ground shyly before looking at Jisung again. “Can we talk?”_

_He takes a step back. “You wanna talk to me?” He asks, surprised._

_“‘Course,” He holds out a hand. “Let’s go somewhere yea?”_

_“Mark.” Donghyuck says sharply. Jisung expects it to knock some sense into him but his hand doesn’t waver._

_He glances at Donghyuck with her narrowed eyes and folded arms, then back at Mark’s offered hand. “Sure,” he agrees but he doesn’t take Mark’s hand._

_Mark leads them to his car and Jisung has this inexplicable urge to cry as he settles in the passenger seat. They have too many memories here, late night drives for fries and milkshakes after Jisung would sneak out, soft kisses traded before game days and steamy makeout sessions after them, Mark ’s hand in his, the other on the wheel— he exhales slowly and it’s too loud in the quiet of the car._

_“What do you want?” He whispers._

_“I… don’t know. Honestly,” he sighs. “I saw you and I— just needed more time. To keep seeing you.”_

_“How could you say that after I—“ He inhales sharply, blinking back tears. He won’t cry. He won’t. His hands curls into fists, nails digging in so deep he knows he’ll bleed._

_“Hey,” Mark says softly, curling a careful hand around his wrist. “I’m not mad at you.”_

_“You have no right to be,” he says angrily. He doesn’t know who he’s trying to convince._

_“I don’t?” Mark says, incredulous. “After the way you dumped me? No explanation as to why, in front of everyone—“_

_“And what did you lose, Mark ?” He yells, turning to face him for the first time. “Because I lost my friends, my team, I lost—“ he chokes on a dry sob._

_“I lost you!” Mark yells back, gripping his shoulders. His eyes flicker over his face, demanding, searching. “I lost you and I don’t even know why.”_

_Jisung blinks, feeling the first set of tears roll down his cheek. “You were going to leave me.” He whispers. He can feel his heart break._

_“Leave you?”_

_“I still have a year left and you have college. With hot girls and cute boys your age and I’m still going to be stuck here.” Once he starts he can’t stop, words keep pouring out of him. “You didn’t deserve to stuck with some kid,” He spits. “Y-you were going to leave and I was going to be heartbroken without you so I needed to be done b-before you—before you…” he trails off, knowing that all that would come out would be more embarrassing sobs. This entire time he’s been hiding behind excuses when he knew it was only a matter of time before fear took over and ruined their relationship._

_Mark cups his face in his hands, swipes his thumbs over the apples of his cheeks. “I never wanted to leave you, my love. And god— it was never my intention to make you feel like I would. Like I could ever leave you.”_

_“You’re so dumb,” Jisung murmurs, laying his hand over Mark ’s, leaning into his touch for one last time. “You can’t be stuck here. You have to grow and live and enjoy things. And I think I do too.”_

_Mark rests his forehead against Jisung’s. “So where do we go from here?”_

_There’s barely any space between them. All Jisung would have to do is tilt his head up and close the distance between them. He could fix this. Crawl into Mark ’s lap and make them forget. “We go anywhere we want to,” he says quietly. “We just won’t do it together.”_

_Mark ’s lips quirk but his lashes are wet. “You're not just some kid to me, y’know? You’re being way more mature about this than I would like.”_

_Jisung smiles back, curling a hand around the back of his neck and pulling him close. The kiss tastes like tears and spearmint gum. It’s soft and it’s so very bittersweet the way they hold onto one another afterward. “How’s that for immature?”_

_Mark blinks back the tears in his eyes. “I’ll miss you,” he murmurs, lips brushing against Jisung ’s once more._

_Jisung reaches into his pocket for the box that started this. “This belongs to you.”_

_Mark looks down, opening the box with his chain inside, Mark’s initials, tucked into the corner, the gold twisted. “Bye, Mark .”_

_+++_

_Then, the month before Mark is set to move into his dorm, they see each other across a room at a party. It’s late and Jisung just wants to go home but Jaemin is too busy making out with his new fling to even think about driving Jisung home._

_He shoved past the throng of moving bodies and met wide brown eyes, just as shocked to see him as Jisung was._

_He’s the one who breaks eye contact. “Lee Mark!” He hears someone belt out over the party music and considers himself safe, knowing Mark will be distracted by his friends._

_He isn’t expecting a hand to wrap around his wrist, or Mark to be the one touching him, or his soft brown eyes peering down at Jisung like he never stopped loving him. “Hi,” he breathes._

_“Hi,” Jisung says, just as quietly._

_“I uh, didn’t know you would be here.”_

_Jisung swallows thickly, his wrist burning where Mark still holds him. “Jaemin hyung brought me.”_

_Mark nods and it’s then he notices how close they are. “How are you?”_

_Jisung kind of wants to laugh because small talk is the last thing he wants. Mark’s eyes light up like he can sense Jisung’s amusement. Hell, he probably can. “I’m fine, hyung.”_

_“Ah,” he acknowledges. It’s so unbelievably awkward and Jisung needs an out now. “Look about last time—“_

_“I should probably go—“ They both stop talking._

_“Oh, I can drive you home.” Mark offers._

_“What about last time?” Jisung says instead of taking him up on the offer._

_Mark sighs, dragging a hand down his face. “This is stupid, right? Us not being together?”_

_Jisung nods hesitantly._

_Mark cups his cheek in his palm. “I want to be with you. Not just in high school, not just in college, I want to be together until we can’t even stand to look at each other anymore. And anytime after that.”_

_Somewhere halfway through his speech, or maybe before then, Jisung’s eyes started to well up with tears. “I want that too.”_

_“So that means no breaking up with me because things are changing,” Mark says sternly._

_“Okay.”_

_“Okay?”_

_“That’s what I said, didn’t I?”_

_“Can I kiss you?”_

_Jisung answers by pressing their mouths together._

+++

Mark is easy but long-distance is not. 

Jisung isn’t sure if two hours away counts as long-distance but god, does he miss Mark right about now. 

With school back in session and Mark experiencing the rush of college and being away from home for the first time, they don’t have much time for each other. Sure they text but Jisung hasn’t seen his boyfriend’s face in weeks and it’s starting to make him cranky, much to Chenle’s dismay seeing as he’s usually the pouty one. 

To Mark Hyung 🥰:  
when can i visit u?

From Mark Hyung 🥰:  
idk babe it’s still rly hectic n my roommate is a dick

To Mark Hyung 🥰:  
ik sorry  
i just really miss u  
this is hard

From Mark Hyung 🥰:  
i miss u too.

+++  
To Mark Hyung 🥰:  
I lost a bet with Chenle and dyed my hair orange :(

From Mark Hyung 🥰:  
Hahaha lemme see

+++

From Mark Hyung 🥰:  
it’s 4am and ik you’re sleeping but  
I love you.  
I was just thinking about how much I love you and thought I should say it.

+++  
To Mark Hyung 🥰:  
I want you to touch me. 

+++

From Mark Hyung 🥰:  
I can’t wait to see you.

+++

In the end, he doesn’t see Mark until the very first basketball game of the season. It’s two agonizing months without his touch and only video calls to hold them over until Mark drives down on a cool day in November and picks him up. 

He can’t keep his hands off of him after he leaps into Mark’s arms, kissing him full on the mouth against the passenger side. Mark is the same, his touch reverent as he caresses Jisung's face. 

“I missed you.” He tells him because he can’t think of anything else to say. 

Mark hums, fingers curling into the strands of Jisung’s hair. “You’re blonde.”

“Do you like it?”

“It looks really good. You look really good.”

“So do you.”

Mark laces his fingers through his. “Ready to go?”

Jisung nods and in the car, they slide, Jisung sending off one last wave to his Mom before Mark cruises down the street, hand on Jisung’s thigh like he doesn’t want to stop touching. 

They fill the space with conversation, old stories that were too long to text, and forgotten to be said during their video calls. The two hours is over before they know it and Jisung prays the rest of the weekend doesn’t fly by the same. 

+++

College dorms are weird. The awkwardly placed common area leads to wide stares as Mark pulls him down the hall toward his room. 

His room is tiny, his roommate's clothes strewn about but still on his half of the room. Mark’s side is oddly clean like he made sure it was spotless before he left to get Jisung. “Why is your bed so high?” Jisung asks. 

“Space,” Mark says, entirely too close. Jisung turns in his arms, quirking an eyebrow at the look in Mark’s eyes. 

They soon learn how hard having sex in a twin bed really is and that no matter how hard you try to be quiet, the thin walls hear everything.

+++

Mark takes him to meet his teammates before the game. They dote on him a ridiculous amount and tease Mark even more. “So you’re the cutie Jisung Mark couldn’t stop texting?” Johnny, the oldest on the team asks, a laugh curling his mouth. 

“Shut up!” Mark hisses, cheeks pinking. 

Yukhei, the tallest on the team, leans over to get another slice of pizza. “You’re taller than Mark. Why don’t you play basketball.”

“I’m a dancer.”

“Oooh,” Jaehyun says, dimples appearing as he elbows Johnny in the stomach. “You should introduce him to Taeyong.”

Johnny blushes at that which Jisung finds endearing. Mark lights up at the chance to tease him. “Oh, he’s coming to the game isn’t he, Hyung?”

“Shut up, Mark.”

+++

Mark’s team wins the game but instead of celebrating with them, Mark takes him back to the dorm. “Your team is nice,” Jisung says.

“They’re assholes,” Mark grumbles. Jisung laughs. 

The dorm room is still empty, which Jisung finds odd but he doesn’t comment. 

After Mark’s shower, they curl up together in his tiny twin bed and talk until they fall asleep. 

+++

Mark’s roommate enters the room very loudly, keys hitting every possible service as he stomps in the room. Mark groans underneath him while Jisung squints at the person. 

“Really, Renjun?” Mark groans. 

“Shut up, I gave you the whole night with your boy toy. I’m allowed this.” 

“Did you have to come back so early?” 

“It’s noon!” Renjun shouts, slamming the bathroom door. 

Jisung raises his eyebrows. “Uh, wow. You live with that?”

Mark laughs a little. “He’s not too bad. Just blunt and busy. He’s double majoring so I get the stress.”

“Ah,” Jisung says. “Is it really noon? We should get up.”

Mark nods and so they get dressed for the day. Somewhere halfway through, Renjun leaves the bathroom and glares at Jisung. “Why the fuck are you so tall?”

“Why are you so short?” 

“Excuse me! I am your hyung!”

Jisung smirks, bowing slightly. “Sorry Renjun-Ssi.”

“You brat!” He turns to Mark. “I don’t like him.”

Mark throws an arm over his shoulder. “That’s too bad ‘cause I love him.” 

+++

Like he feared, the weekend does fly by and before he knows it, Mark is driving him back home. 

He tries not to cry when Mark kisses him one last time but he really can’t help it. “You’re making it hard for me to leave, you know?”

“Sorry I just...I really miss you when you’re gone.”

“The semester is almost over. I’ll be back before you know it.”

His lip quivers but no more tears fall. “Go before I cry more.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Hyung.”

+++

When Jisung graduates, Mark starts renting out an apartment close to campus and Jisung spends most of his days there once school let out and it was nothing but summer days, sticky skin and artificial flavors when their lips touched after getting full off a variety pack of popsicles because Mark is awful at taking care of himself and Jisung doesn’t mind much either way. 

Unwrapping another popsicle, orange this time, Mark says, “Move in with me,” because that’s easy too. 

Yes is almost on the tip of his tongue. Mark doesn’t seem bothered by his silence, sliding the popsicle against Jisung’s waiting mouth. Jisung sucks the tip gently, before Mark pulls it away. 

“After my first semester,” he says finally. 

“Ok,” Mark agrees easily, curling his hand around Jisung hip to pull him close. “I’ll be waiting.” 

Mark presses the popsicle against his mouth once again. Jisung pushes his hand away. “Just ask for head like a normal person.” 

Mark laughs, soft and genuine and kisses him.

+++

Jisung moves in on the very last day of his fall semester. 

Chenle and Donghyuck help along with Mark’s roommate from freshman year, Renjun. It takes the whole day to move Jisung’s things from his cramped dorm to Mark’s slightly less cramped apartment. 

It takes a few more to unpack everything and rearrange Mark’s things to fit Jisung’s but they’re in no rush. 

Mark molds his body to Jisung’s back when he’s in the kitchen, taking stock over everything. He places a light kiss on his neck, murmuring, “I’m so glad I don’t have to miss you anymore.”

Jisung smiles softly, feeling himself melt into Mark. “Me too.”

He feels like chocolate forgotten on a hot day, melting and sliding in between the cracks of a burning back seat. He feels sticky and slow and he could just live in this moment forever. 

Loving Mark has always been easy, it just took a while for Jisung to notice. 

**~Fin.**


End file.
